A small detour
by omgwtfdenny
Summary: A little AU fanfic in which Thane and Shepard go to the desert. Both know they have little time left together; but it is even less than assumed. Takes place during ME3, but is an AU.


**Title:** A small detour  
><strong>Description:<strong> A little AU fanfic in which Thane and Shepard go to the desert. Both know they have little time left together; but it is even less than assumed.  
><strong>Pairing:<strong> Thane/Fem!Shep  
><strong>Warning:<strong> It's romance. That's all.  
><strong>Further Notes:<strong> I've been wanting to write this for some time now. I kind of wished Thane to have a chance to go to a desert together with Shepard in ME3. So here it is. Also first time writing them. So bear with me.

[1]

Heavy breathing. Hands clasping, eyes closing.

Thane was trying his best to hide the strain the lack of oxygen had on him. Reducing unnecessary actions to a minimum, catching his breath whenever the battles allowed him, he had successfully hidden the efforts needed to keep up with the squad to perform as efficiently as the others. It was a difficult task, and one that had sped up the rate of health degeneration.  
>Weeks had passed since he had agreed - selfishly, if he was honest - to join Shepard's team once more. Weeks of concealing his health condition to his best. But now even the most denying and stubborn willpower he could bring up would not be able to fool him any longer.<p>

He was dying. And it was no longer a matter of weeks.

The drell lowered his head and pressed his lips together. How much longer could he keep this up? Shepard needed a fully functional, not an incapacitated member. Someone who could watch her back, and someone who could protect her. He had been that as long as he could, but how much longer? Breathing, even when in complete calm, was becoming strenuous. His thoughts had become increasingly harder to grasp, and the numbness of his mind stayed like an awful cloak. He was exhausted in a way that no recess could soften.  
>A sigh. It would be no surprise if sleep was endless the next time. He was too tired to wake up again.<p>

"I am sorry," he whispered quietly as he folded his hands for his prayers.

"What are you sorry for?"  
>The door slid shut, familiar steps approaching him. The drell blinked, but did not turn around immediately. It was no unknown, and certainly no unwanted visitor after all.<br>"Nothing, _siha_. A memory came over me. The words must have slipped out in response to it."

"I see." Shepard sat down before him and reached for his hands. A notion of relief went through Thane as he saw her smile - the last few weeks he had been with her, her gaze and expressions had been marked with grief and anxiety. Her smile had been weary, her words heavy with slight apathy.  
>Not that it was a surprise; it had been setback after setback, with few victories to counter them. A fleeting image passed his mind - Mordin, stepping into the elevator, leaving for good. It was one of those memories that reminded them how many sacrifices had been made, and how many more were to come.<br>Today, however, there was a certain radiance, almost a note of mischief in her smile. Her eyes seemed to shine in concealed excitement, and the longer they talked about casual, daily things, the more apparent it became to the drell that she was just waiting to tell him whatever surprise she had. Not that he would spoil it for her; he would act as if he had not noticed, enjoy the moment he had with Shepard. Who knew if it was not the last conversation they had? No exhaustion would take that from him, not now.

"Thane?"

The drell blinked and leant in a little. "Yes, _siha_?"

"I've thought about the time we've spent together," Shepard said, the smile on her lips widening bit by bit, "And I've remembered something you told me before the Suicide Mission."

"What would that be?", he replied, raising his eyebrow in slight amusement. "We have spoken about many things."

"It's a certain notion about taking a vacation after the end of the mission." She leant in a little, her voice turning into a low whisper. "Well, the suicide mission is over. But we haven't had a vacation together yet…" Her gaze searched his, waiting for him to take the implication in. Thane could only blink before he returned the look, but not without slight skepticism.

"Our mission is not over yet," he quietly remarked, "The Reapers are still there. This has priority."

"True. But at the same I wonder…" She looked away, a faint frown appearing over her eyes. "… how many chances we will have to do this together."

Thane blinked. Had she noticed the decline of his health? Had his numbing perception given away his condition? Or was it the general pressure weighing on her?  
>Slowly her fingers tightened around his as the silence lingered for another moment. It made Thane think about it again; how many chances would they truly have? Not many. Perhaps this was the last one.<br>"… What do you have in mind?", he finally asked, noticing that Shepard's expression brightened up once more.

"I remembered I was assigned a very important mission on earth a while ago," she remarked with a smirk, "It can't be put off any longer, and I can bring only one squad member."

"That sounds… interesting." Thane returned the gesture and leant a little closer. "What are the specifics?"  
>Shepard chuckled lowly before she stood up, gently tugging at the drell's hands.<p>

"I will brief you on the way to our destination."

[2]

"We're here." The commander moved her limbs a little and turned to Thane. Piloting for such a long time was not a particular strength of hers; and judging after the discomfort of sitting too long, not a favorite activity either.

No answer came from the drell. Eyes closed, breath steady, he seemed to have fallen asleep.  
>A crooked smile appeared on Shepard's lips. "Wake up, sleepy head," she teased, placing a kiss on his forehead. This pulled the alien out of his slumber; blinking sluggishly, he looked up to the woman before him.<p>

"My apologies," he whispered, "I felt a little tired."

"I noticed." Shepard cupped his cheeks for a moment. "You have been sleeping a lot more lately." A pause as she looked into his eyes. "Is everything okay?"

"Of course, _siha_." A smirk before he stood up and took her hands into his. "It is simply pleasant to rest once in a while."

The commander looked at him skeptically. She did not believe him; in fact she was certain there was more behind it. She knew about his health condition, and suspected that it had taken a turn for the worst. It would have taken her to be blind, too, for her not to notice the tired gaze in Thane's eyes; the slow pace at which he did mundane things; the sometimes sluggish replies to her questions.  
>But… if he did not want to tell her, then she was in no position to press it out of him. "All right then. Shall we go?"<p>

A nod. Thane followed her quietly as ever. Blinding light met them as they left the shuttle. The sound of wind reached their ears; sand brushed over their skin. The sun was shining brightly, heat almost burning on their bodies. It was a pleasant sensation for the commander, but not as satisfying as the reaction she saw with Thane.  
>With pleasure Shepard noticed the wonder in the drell's eyes, the astonished, even though quiet gasp and the quickening of his pace. He was looking around excitedly, but not without the usual grace within his motions, taking a few steps in the sand dunes and - to her delight - staggering a little to keep balance on the moving ground.<br>"This is beautiful," Thane finally let out, lowering the hand above his eyes, "Truthfully beautiful."

"It is." Shepard stepped beside him and took his hand into hers. "Mission accomplished." She let her head rest against his shoulder and stood there with him quietly. The wind brushed over them softly and cooled their skin a little.

"Thank you, siha." She felt fingers run through her hair, trailing along her jawline afterwards. Black eyes looked at her admiringly, with a warm smile accompanying the gaze. "I am glad we followed your suggestion."

"I am too." She chuckled lowly before she leant forward and placed their lips on each other. Her arms traveled along his shoulders around his neck; his hands entwined behind her lower back. It was a precious moment, very much so. A wonderful place to to make some memories.

[3]

"A bit of shade is really pleasant after staying this long under the sun." Shepard chuckled as she leant against the drell's chest and hummed lowly. It was nice to sit under a palm tree and let the wind cool them off, yet feel the lingering heat of the sun and each other.

"It is," Thane quietly replied, arms wrapping around the woman's body. His hands sought hers, and when they found them, he held them gently in his grasp. "I would love to return here."

"We will." Shepard looked up to him and placed a kiss on his jawline. "After we've beaten the Reapers, we will come back here together."

"That sounds like a nice idea." Thane smiled and let his cheek rest on Shepard's head. "It would be nice… to come back here." He closed his eyes and breathed in slowly.

A slight nod from the commander. Then silence came over them, with only the wind humming faintly. For several moments, they remained like this; Shepard was almost certain that the drell had fallen asleep. But then he spoke up quietly.

"_Siha_," he began, words slowly leaving him, "I pray for you to succeed in your destiny. May Arashu watch over you and protect you whenever I fail to do so."

"Thane?" Shepard looked up to him, a frown appearing over her eyes. "Is something…"

"No worries, _siha_. I am fine." He smiled faintly, eyes opening a bit. Then he placed a kiss on her forehead. "I love you," he whispered quietly.

Shepard blinked and gasped slightly. Soon, however, the initial surprise wore off and a warm smile appeared on her lips as she leant against him. "I love you too, Thane."

The drell smiled. He closed his eyes once more and leant against the tree; it did not take long until he fell asleep. Shepard decided it would not be right to wake him up at this moment, and let her eyes fall shut as well.

_The heart beat grew slower. The grip weaker._

_The sea embraced another soul._


End file.
